About Over The Counter Medicine

You may want to look at the packaging twice the next time you take out Over The Counter (OTC) medication for your child.

A group of researchers from University of Sydney reported that the results of testing close to 100 adults including moms, dads and day care workers, on their ability to give children the correct OTC medication in the case that their children fell ill. They were tested on their ability to use a suitable measuring device to determine the correct dosage. As redOrbit reports, 44 percent of those tested were unable to measure out the correct dosage.

In addition, the results showed that 15 percent of the adults would have given the medication to the child without first checking the child’s temperature. Researcher Rebekah Moles said, “one parent said to us that if [a brand of medicine]is available over the counter, administering a double dose couldn’t do any harm and asked: What could be the worst that could happen?” She added,”We were surprised and concerned to find that some people thought that medicines must be safe because you can buy them without prescription.”

The New South Wales Poisons Information Center’s reported that 48 percent of 119,000 emergency calls received regarded cases of accidental overdose in children. 85 percent of those calls involved children under five years, 80 percent involved children under three, and 15 percent required a trip to the hospital.

OTC Medicine Safety gives you tips on how to decide which type of medication to give your child depending on the scenario. Keep a close eye on the dosage tool that comes with the medication but also be aware of teaspoons vs. tablespoons if you need to use a kitchen measuring spoon.